davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-11-05

and if near hore the bodies of the
sharks are towed in and sold to the
makers of guano. The seasons yield
is estimated at 10000 barrels of liver,
valued at 100000 gulden. The oil thus
obtained is fine illuminant. Portugal
has large shark fishery. Small sharks,
or dogtish, are valued on our coast the
livers being worth one cent piece; the
bodies another cent for gaano, while the
skin of certain kinds is made into box
covers, sword handles and various OBJ
jects.
In China the fins of sharks are valued
as food and can be seen in any of the
Chinese markets in San Francisco or
New York. The trade, it is said, is
valued at about $4,000 per year, which
indicates that many sharks are destroyed
for table uses. In Africa, or in certain
portions, we find the shark figuring in
an entirely different role-there he is a
god, and known as "Jou-Jou" His
mouth is considered the sure way to
Heaven, and four times a year victim
is sacrificed. A stake is driven into
the beach at low tide and child tied
to it, and as the waters rise the
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-11-05

soazzahs walk in front and two behind,
with relief of four men bringing up The
rear.
These coolies always step together at
kind of jog-trot very rarely bracing
the knee. This mode of carriage in the
mountains is not by any means uncom-
Portable. The zigzag roads, by means of
which the higher points are reached, do
not rise abruptly. The ascent is easily
made, and without any personal incon-
| venience when jhampans are used.
Luggage of all kinds is unloaded from
the bullock-carts not far from the place
where the carriages come to halt. A
stout piece of rope is wound round the
ends of every box and trunk, and a
length of bamboo, similar to that used
for the jhampans, is passed under the
ropes at the top. By means of this each
heavy piece of baggage is transported on
the shoulders of healthy and hard-work-
ing coolies.
Visitors having once attained that par
ticular part of the slope where they have
made up their minds to dwell for brief
or heightened period, they have little to
fear and everything desirable to hope
for. The atmosphere is pure and brac-
ing. On the plains sleep seems to IN
duce languid feeling. Here it refreshes
and invigorates. Food of all kinds is
plentiful and wholesome. Fruit is avail
able in great abundance and variety. The
roads are good and numerous, attOrdlng
ample opportunity for pedestrian and
equestrian exercise The scenery is sub
lime and impressive in its grandeur.
AS far as the eye can reach in one
direction, lofty peaks and rugged ridges
rise one behind another, until, in the far
distance, towering high above them all
stands Everest, a monarch among noun
tains. Looking down into the far
stretching valley beneath, glimpses are
ever and anon revealed of roads and
rivers running through the white and
arid plains. At intervals are seen in
every conceivable position of picturesque
ness small Hindoo villages and groups
of huts upon the fertile and cultivated
hillsides. Here and there, standing out
prominently in relief on the tops of the
lowest ridges, may be discovered the
ruins of an ancient Hindoo temple or
rajah's deserted palace.
There is absolutely no end to the pri
vate and public festivities. The men
have their shooting ranges at Allandale,
their climbing parties, card parties,
athletic sports and clubs The ladies
have their dances and their dinners, with
the thousand other means of recreation
for the chosen of both sexes always being
concocted and carried out by active
members OF the fair sex.
Everybody who is anybody dances,
dimes out and plays tennis. There are
ever so many sets of society people there
every season. They are all very exclu-
sive. There is the military set. and the
civil service set-the ordinary set of big
nobodies, and the set thatstreats every
other set with contempt because they
never receive invitations They talk
about caste among the Hindoos. Those
poor heather sinners are not half so ex-
elusive as the British at Simla.
T. CAMPBELL-CoPELAND.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-11-05

man-eater refused all food, though pre-
scented with live cats and various deli
cacies, and after three months of ceaseless
vigil died. Its jaw, which at the time
would fit over my shoulders, contained
eight rows of teeth, and is now in the
museum at Central Park, New York.
The shark is, like a tiger, ferocious
when hungry and seemingly Indifferent
to pain. When crowding about dead
whale the men often lance them without
stopping them, and q shark has been
seen to eat it's own entrails that were
streaming from lance wounds inflicted
by the whalers. Their tastes are not cpl
curean. From one | took several tomato
cans, the horn of steer to which
was attached part of the skull, three
hoofs of steer and a quantity of old
rope In shark caught in Australian
waters nearly the entire body of horse
was taken from it.
The largest man-eating shark is the
great white shark of Australia, and
probably other waters, known to science
as Carcharadon roude'ett, specimens of
which have been caught measuring
thirty six feet in length. Such mon
ster would require an OK as single
meal, and would hardly notice so small
prey as a man. On the Atlantic coast
Atwood's shark, of this same genus, is
the common man-eater, and numerous
casualties are laid at its door Some
years ago party went out fishing from
Lynn, Mass, and one of them, Mr.
Joseph Blaney, stepped into a dory and
pulled off a short distance. A cry of
terror attracted the attention of those
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-11-05

multitude watch the victim until If is
torn away by the ocean tiger-a terrible
sight, yet no worse than could have been
seen when the New Fnglanders deter
mined to drive the witches out of the
land of freedom.
In the famous collection of weapons
from the South Sea Islands in the Mu-
scum of Natural History, Central Park,
New York there are many representing
swords, daggers and spears that are
ingeniously made of sharks teeth. The
staff or central portion is made of wood,
but the edge is of sharp serrated sharks
teeth, held in place by cords run through
small holes in the base of the tooth. 1t
is evident that these weapons are more
for laceration than intiicting deadly
wounds, and the victims are horribly
torn by them. AS a protection to the
sharks teeth, the Tonga islanders have
a complete armor made of cocoa-tibre,
and SO firmly bound together that it is
almost impossible to cut it with a sharp
knife. One of the most remarkable
weapons, if it can be called so, was OBJ
served in these islands BY an English
naturalist. 1t consisted of a set of
armlets that reached from the wrists to
INC Sioo"' anu '" as sci VI llHeu upon tne
inside with sharp sharks teeth. In
battle the wearer of these gloves
who was a giant in stature, would rush
upon a foe and seize him in the toothed
arms, and while literally tearing him in
pieces, would break his back
If the man-eating sharks of to-day are
considered giants, what must we think
of the colossal creatures that existed
during the tertiary period? Even a
rough estimate shows these prehistoric
man-esters to have attained length of at
least 100 feet, and to have exceeded in size
the largest whales. The teeth of the
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-11-05

=
tirely extinct, and represented to- day by
in the deep Atlantic and in various To-
calities. Around Charleston great ter
tiary beds have been found, and thou
sands of these great shining teeth have
been collected, almost as perfect as when
they were a part of the living man
eater, untold thousands of years ago.
Even the fine polish had not been worn
off during these long years at the
bottom of the Ashley and Cooper rivers.
The sharks are among the most inter-
esting of all fishes. Quite recently an
eel-like, serpentine shark has been dis
covered, and many naturalists believe
that the famous sea serpent will turn out
to be long shark-a dweller in the deep
sea-only occasionally coming to the sur
face to astonish the jewellers along shore.
Some years ago small shark was dis
covered in Australian waters that
emitted light from various parts of its
body, and so brilliant was this emission
that when the fish was placed in a dark
room it illumined the faces of all the
observers and might have been used
as lamp. 1t was assumed by the
observers that nature had provided
this fish with the light as lure to
attract his prey, and as all fishes are
attracted by light the reasoning is
possibly correct. The young of some
sharks are deposited in eggs in the So
called "Sea Narrows," while others are
born alive and at once begin their preda-
tory life. G. F. HOLDER
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-11-05
copyrighted, 1871

vet he was introduced as the finest pearl
diver on the coast, which was saying
good deal Lara was modest and
objected to going over his adventures,
so his friend told the story. Don
Lara was brought up on the pearl beds.
The Gulf of California was his cradle,
and that he was well-rocked goes for
the saying. For years he worked
with the boats, and soon became
famous as diver, and he could easily
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-11-05
DRUMNERS.
THE UNIQUE POSITION THEY OC-
CUPY IN COMMERCIAL LIFE.

No Business Can be Successfully Conducted
Without Their Aid-The Custom Had Its
Origin in England-Reduced to a Fine
Art-Acquaintance Their Stronghold.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-11-05
A TIGER OF THh SEA.
THE MONSTER CARRYING TER
ROR THROUGH THE DEEP.

Largest Fish in the World-It Was
Over Sixty Feet Long-The Tiger Shark
Professional Shareholders - The Teeth
Used in War-Carried ON as Sport.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-11-05

one gentleman living in Ogureouit, Me-,
wrote me some years ago as follows ::
1.-The schooner Virgin, of Gloucester.
of which vessel one of my neigh
bors, now deceased, was one of the
crew, caught shark off Block Island,
from which they took eight barrels of
liver. They dashed its head to the wind
lass-bitts and his tail extended beyond the
stern, so chat he was longer than the
vessel, which was of sixty-eight tons
burden. They struck another this dav
which they reported as being larger"
The great Rhanodon of the Pacific and
Indian oceans attains length of sixty
feet and often carries down boats that
cannot clear themselves when it is
struck. These fishes resemble the whales
in size, and feed, as do the latter, upon
small animals.
While we look upon the shark as
scourge and a natural scavenger, it is
an important item in trade, and is
utilized in many ways. Years ago there
was an organized shark fishery at Cape
Cod and Long Island, where bone sharks
were harpooned for their oil. The bask-
ing shark fisheries of Greenland are i'm
portant to-day. The largest fishery is at
Naorkanek, where about 1900 barrels of
shark oil is taken every season of few
months. The spec or blubber is legal
tender in some parts of this country.
The Norwegians have ashark fishery on
the borders of the Polar sea, taking the
great fish in 1900 feet of water. The
liver is taken for the oil it contains,
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-11-05

largest living sharks are
rarely over two inches
long; but the teeth of
these ancient giants are
almost as large as the
open hand, and by ar
ranging a set in the form
of a mouth with all the
rows, we have one so ca
pacious that a horse and
cart could be driven
into it with ease. These
oran+ oraot,1roc orc on
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-11-05
LIFE AT SIMLA.
a BRITISH MILITARY STATION UP
ON THE HIMALAYAS.

The Swell Place for English Officers to
Recuperate-Seat of Government During
tho Hot Observation-Disclosures Men to
be Met-Methods of Journeying There.
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-11-05

on the larger vessel
and they turned ju
in time to see an
enormous shark rush
over the boat and seize
the unfortunate fisher
man. 4 fisherman on
the Maine coast in
formed me that his
boat was once seized
by a shark that shook
it as a cat would a
mouse. On another
occasion he was quietly
fishing when a shark
six feet long leaped
into the boat, and prob
ably was as much as
tonished as the fisher
man. In point of &C
tual size the great bone
shark, a huge creature
with minute teeth, is
the largest. 1t attains
a length on our coast
of seventy feet. Con-
corning the length of
St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-11-05

in his dark
piercinge eye
unhinchin q
courage was
depicte d :;
Connecticut western news., 1887-06-15
Money in Backing Boots.

A New York correspondent of tho Philadelphia Record writes: 'I have been watching for number of years a sunburned Italian bootplack who has a stand within range of my office window. He pays no rent, working out his indeb.- edncss by keeping tho sidewalk clean and regulating the awnings of the pco- pie on the corner. He has two chairs mounted on brass trimmed platform, and big umbrella to keep If the sun in warm weather. He is decent fel- low, and does not spit on your boots, as do most bootblacks, but has wet sponge in tin that he dampons his brushes with. Such shine as he gives, and all for five cents. Notwithstanding the fact that business is very dull in the winter. bad walking ani cold weather being very much against him, he has managed to put money in the bank. He told me the other day, with the air of Q man not altogether displeasel with his extrava- gancc, that it costs him fifty dollars a month to live. When I exclaimed at this he added, with another touch of pride, that he had wife and three children. How much better off he is than many men who m Ike as many thousands as he does hundreds, bccau he lives within his means"
Connecticut western news., 1887-06-15
The Press EYangel.

o wasted ages! whither have ye led The breeding masses for their daily breadi Engendered serfs, across world of gloom, The wavelke generations reach the tomb. Masters and lords, they feared lord de-
 cree,
 Nor freedom knew nor truth to make them
 free.
 Put hark, A sound has reached ths ,servile
 herdl
 Strong brows are raised to catch the passing
 word;
 From mouth to mouth a common whisper
 fes;
 A wildfire message burns on lips and eyes: Far,of and near the kindred tidings
 throng-
 How hopes come true, how heroes challenge
 wrong:
 How men have rights above all laws decree: How weak ones rise and sweep the thrones
 like seas!
 Behold The people listen-question! Then Tho inner light has come-the boors are men! What read ye herea A dreaner's idle rulee A swelling redant's less 0, for schools Nay, her, no dreaming, no delusive charts;
  A truth, Princlple-beneath the sun One vibrant throb-men's rights and ongs are one;
 One hearts small keyboard touches all the notes;
 One weak ones cry distends the million threats;
 Nor race nor nation bounds the human kind
 White. yellow, black-one conscience and one mind!
 How spread thu doctrines See the teachers fly
 The printed messages across the sky; From land to land, as never birds could wing; With songs of promise birds could never With mighty meanings clearing here and With nations greetings kings could never share; | With new communions whispering near and far; | " tn gathering armies bent on peace, not war;
 With kindly judges reading righteous laws; With strength and cheer for every struggling l cause. Roll on, o cylinders of light and teach The helpless myriads tongue can never reach. Make men, not masses: pulp and mud unite The single grain of sand reflects the light. | True freedom makes the individual freei And common law for all makes Libertyt
 -[John Boyle O Reilly in N. Y. World.
Connecticut western news., 1887-06-15
The Wife Would Need a License.

Broad AK Smiths suggestion in the Pttts6urg Dsspatch. ''Start a hotel or saloon in your own house; be the only customer and you will have no license to pay. Go to your wife and give her $2 to buy gallon of whisky and remember there are sixty drinks in gallon. You make it your business every time you are thirsty to buy drink from your wife, and by the time you will have drank up the $2, your wife will have the $2 to pay you back, $2 to put in the bank and $2 to start in business again. And should you happen to live ten years and continue to booze from your wife, and die at the expiration of that time with the snakes in your sock, she will have money enough to bury you de- gently, buy a good house and lot, edu- cate your children, and marry some respectable man, and never be bothered thinking about you. Try it and see how the thing will pan out.
Connecticut western news., 1887-06-15
The Country School and Farmers Boy.

The country school is pre- emincntly the farmers school. In it the great majority of the farmers of to-day re- ceivcd their education, and in it the great majority of those of tho next generation will receive the whole of their schooling.
 Is the country school doing what it should for the farmers boy2 Is it giving to tho boy who will remain on the farm that kind of an education which will be the best preparation for lifes work2
 What is an education for? Why should boy spend so much time in the school-roo The purpose of boys education is to fit him for his work, whatever that may be. The education given in country school ought then to fit the boy to be successful farmer, for that is to be the profession of most country scllool-boys.
 What education does the farmers profession demand2 The ability to read, write, and understand the English language and to make readily all the ordinary numerical calculations conncc- ted with his business-this is all, some say, that farmer needs, and this is practically all that many of the schools supply. But is this enough2 Shall we set the standard of education for the farmer at the very lowest notch2 Shall we in this way say that the poorest edu- cation is sufficient for the farmer2 We certainly do not think that farming is the occupation for which the poorest education is sufficient. Give the boy opportunity to become acquainted with the things around him. Put the study of soils, plants, animals, etc., into your schools. Ask your school-teachcrs to give instruction of thus kind Demand of them that they know enough to give such instruction in the right way. If you will demand only the best of teach CTS for your children, you can have these things taught to them; but if you arc willing to take, year by year, the young and poorly prepared teachers, the work will not and can not be done. You will have to pay roundly for such Efficient teachers; but will it not be the best economy in tho long run, for arc they not to instruct your children for their whole life's work?-[ American Agriculturist.
Connecticut western news., 1887-06-15

to take me to my ranch, where I found my partner had arrived all right. Shortly after that I sold out and came North, but think shall not forget that part of tho country soon.
 Just as the narrato had ceased speak ing bright little boy came running up to him, saying:
 "Papa mamma wants to see you"
 'But what became of the young womana" was asked in unison by the rest of the party as the gentleman arose.
 "Well," said he, with a smile, 'sho has just sent our boy after me" "-[st. Paul Globe.
Connecticut western news., 1887-06-15
An IgnOble Barbara Frietchie.

The Mccormick riot of one year ago had reached that point where the Hin- man street patrol wagon, with twelve officers on it seats, swung off the Black road and dashed pell nell into the yards of the great reaper works. The mob surged in front and on either side of the policemen as they formed abreast and with drawn revolvers marched toward the roadway. The rioters fell back sul- lenly. One officer had been struck in the head with brick and dozen pis- tol barrels were gittering among the mob, when Sergt Enright raised his hand warningly and commanded the strikers to disperse. Instead of falling back the mob now surged towards the policemen, against whom it directed Q shower of stones and bullets. Sergt. Enright, who was ten feet in advance of his men, gave the order to fire. The simultaneously, but the mob did not move. The bullets plowed through the first saloon across the street. The man who was tending bar ran for his life. His wife, however, stood her ground be- hind the counter and refused to seek a place of safety, although the windows were being riddled. When the Twenty second street and Twelfth street officers came to the rescue of their Hinman street brothers the firing became terrific, but this woman, who was frowsy- headed, red-faced chunk of humanity, went about the business with as much unconcern as though she were serving at German picnic. The windows were shivered, the walls were clipped and scraped, and the long, greasy-looking bar was plowed up in two places by leaden missiles. When the battle was over the woman wiped her hands and face upon her apron and then gave her husband a good round scoring for leaving his busi- ness so abruptly.-Chicogo Herald.
Connecticut western news., 1887-06-15
JAY GOULD'S GREAT SCHEME. The Big Railroad Magnatc Planning
 to Revolutionize Freight Traffic.

A Chicago paper asserts that according to information just disclosed Jay Gould has suc- cessfully taken the first steps. toward the com- pletion of most important scheme.
 It contemplates relieving St. Louis and Chi cago of the necessity of distributing grain and provisions, and even live stock, to the East and European markets, and draining the grain producing sections of the West and Southwest Into the Mississippi river below the ice point, and thence by barge lines to New Orleans, and by steamers to foreign ports, or by the same means of transportation or rail to Eastern domestic points of consumption.
 The first intimation of Gould's contemplated scheme was given by the purchase of the Lit tie Rock, Mississippi and Texas and the Little Rock and Fort Smith railroads At first 1t was not thought that there was any peculiar sig nifcance to the transaction, but it now tram spires that he means to use them as a link for a new outlet for his Missouri, Pacific system to the East and Europe.
 The next step will be the linking of the Lit. tie Rock purchases with the Missouri Pacific system, which will be done at Fort Gibson, or the Missouri, Kansas and Texas. The con tracts have just been let for the construction of line from Van Buren, on the Little Rock and Fort Smith, to Fort Gibson. This will give direct line to Arkansas City on the Mississippi river.
Connecticut western news., 1887-06-15
The Pink.EYed pittslaYs.

Scattered through the several country towns and villages of Rochester, Free town, Lakevillc, Long Plain, Acushnct and Myricks is peculiar race of people that stick close to their native back woods, but on rare occasions emerge from their self-chosen retirement to the neighboring more populous towns of Mddleborough and Wareham, and are sometimes seen on the streets of New Bedford, Taunton and Fall River, the observed of all beholders Their local appcllation that follows them to al places is that of ''Pink-eyed Pitts.ey~." Their peculiarity is pink eyes and per fectly white hair. This striking singularity is said to have first made its appearance in a family by the name of Pittsley in Freetown, century or more ago, and spread through succeeding generations among the offspring of those who intermarried with the members of the family, until many of the residents of this section of variety of family names as we'll as that of Pittsley have members marked by this peculiarity of the eyes and hair and an accompanying facial expression that is odd in tho cx- treme. The old man Merchant Pittsley
 was pink-eyed and he had nine children.
 All five of his sons had pink eyes and white hair, and one daughter was marked the same way, but the other three girls
 had as fine black eyes anl dark hair as any girl in town. They married, all but one, and had children, and some of their children had pink eyes and white hair,
 lut not all. - Broekton (Mass.) Gazette.